A U.S.- funded "Justice Sector Improvement Project" (JSIP) in El Salvador valued at upwards of $25 million is being launched to battle violent crime and simultaneously achieve the goal of improving El Salvador's economy.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) today released a solicitation (#SOL-519-12-000003) governing details of the endeavor, which would be carried out by a private contractor in the violence-plagued Central American nation.
JSIP will take a two-pronged approach, the first component which is called "Criminal Justice Reform and Judicial Transparency." Plus:
There will also be an overarching Citizen Participation Campaign that promotes public oversight and awareness of the reforms taking place under the first two components, as well as a study to inform decisions about future utilization of host government systems.
The document pointed out that the new initiative would build upon a prior Rule of Law project designed to improve El Salvador's judiciary:
To combat criminality and create a climate for economic growth, the government needs an efficient, well-coordinated, and independent justice sector that can act as a real deterrent to crime. One of the greatest challenges of the judiciary is to improve credibility through efficient investigations and prosecution. Without an efficient and independent judiciary, impunity will perpetuate criminal activity and work done in the investigation phases will be lost.
The JSIP is a separate but corollary USAID initiative planned for El Salvador. As U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor reported late last year, the agency began searching for contractors to carry out a Crime and Violence Prevention Project with a similar potential value of $25 million (Monitor, 12/26/2011). That endeavor likewise builds upon previous regional programs:
In the last four years, USAID has funded three key prevention programs: Crime and Violence Prevention Project (CVPP), currently being implemented by Research Triangle Institute International; the Regional Youth Alliance Project (AJR), currently being implemented by Creative Associates; and, Strengthening the Judicial System project implemented by Checchi Consulting.
At the JSIP program's end, USAID expects to:
increase the Government of El Salvador’s inter-agency cooperation, reduce the current rates of impunity in violent crimes, decrease homicides and robberies through the community policing strategy, and set up the mechanisms and legal framework for increased transparency within the judiciary and to monitor accountability of public officials.
Bids are due June 21.
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